Salute gentlemen and Merry Christmas! Greetings and thanks to all who have been flying the past few Sunday Vintage Missions over on the new Cuban Syndicate Connection server. Numbers have steadily increased each weekend and performance seems stable *knocks on wood* and we have had quite a few good battles so we shall forge ahead! For those who haven't made it out yet, please come out anytime on Sunday afternoon and evening (GMT 18:00 on) and join in the fight, all are welcome! Wargrounds have graciously given us our very own teamspeak channel - "Vintage Mission Sundays w/ Cuban".

This Sunday will see us in the Verdun region, September 26th, 1918 -The Meuse-Argonne Offensive-. Also known as the "Battle of the Argon Forest" it was a part of the final Allied offensive of WWI that stretched along the entire western front. Both sides were using advanced airfields during the day to support the ground forces and to take out enemy balloons. Both sides have to complete 4 recon targets over enemy lines, 2 strategic, 2 trench mapping. After completetion of recons, bombers will be made ready for a specific target.

The "Syndicate Sunday Vintage Missions" were a classic set of mostly historical maps that were developed by Vander and others at Syndicate Squadron. SYN_Vander and crew very generously made these maps available to the whole community, so all credit goes to him and the other guys at Syndicate for these great missions, and all the blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into them. To me, some of these historically based maps have an almost indescribable texture and feel that really immerses one in the classic WWI flight experience. Let's go flying!

Sorry for the late post, but server will be up tomorrow at 18:00GMT as usual. We will be flying the early war map "Battle of the Somme 1916". Both sides start out with the very basic early war planes and more advanced planes are made available as objectives are completed. Mission objectives are communicated by subtitle to each side. There is no indication on the map if an objective is completed, check with pilots on your team. Good luck all pilots!

Greetings all and apologies for last Sunday's server problems. There seems to be a glitch in the map as it failed with an error at the exact same point twice in a row. At any rate, I will pull that one from the rotation until a fix can be applied. We had several nice furball battles with Rolands, DH.2's, Stutter single and two seaters, and fair amount of Eindecker battles as well!

This Sunday will see us at the Battle of Cambrai Nov. 30th, 1917.The Germans reinforced Cambrai so rapidly that it became clear that it was possible to go over to the attack, the first attack made by the Germans on the Western Front since Verdun. A pincer mover was planned, with attacks from north and south driving to Metz to surround the British forces. The attack was to be led by the new 'stormtroopers,' and also by the CL-type aircraft, which were expected to provide more consistent support from the air than the unwieldy and unreliable British tanks had fom the ground. However, the northern pincer ran straight into the British artillery supporting the attack on Bourlon. Though the British had failed to progress through Bourlon Wood, which became saturated with German gas, the attack was not called off. It may have been difficult for Haig to order a retreat after bells had been rung for a great victory. Meanwhile, reports of German forces massing on the flanks were simply ignored at HQ, from the belief that the German army was exhausted. On the morning of November 30th the thinly held and unfortifed southern British perimeter was quickly overrun. The German attack in the south is beginning to falter. Both sides need to support their ground operations directly from the air, and also to protect their ground attack aircraft.

Entente Objectives: Machines are to strafe and bomb the enemy at all opportunities. Destroy enemy horse artillery on the roads and enemy strongpoints.

German objectives: Assist in the reduction of enemy strongpoints. Destroy enemy reinforcements before they can interfere. The side that first destroys 100 targets wins (vehicles and strongpoints)

Map starts at 18:00 GMT, it will run for 4.5 hrs unless a victor emerges first. The map will then rotate to:

The Battle of Passchendaele.

12th of October, 1917Each side will have 6 primary targets to destroy, indicated by a flag on the map. Before a target becomes active, it has to be reconnoitered by making 10 photographs. The flag will then turn red. When a primary target has been destroyed, the flag will be removed from the map. Secundary targets are any vehicle, trains or tanks and balloons in enemy territory. When 2 (more) enemy targets are destroyed, new airfields will be activated with different plane types. For photo recon missions only the designated planes "Recon" can trigger the photo sequence! Photo recons need to land safely at an active base to complete their mission!